You probably think your Maine garden is at its peak this month as you harvest tomatoes, peppers, melons and squash.
But it doesn’t have to end here.
Some herbs, greens and vegetables can provide food into the fall if you plant them now, focusing on plants that either grow quickly or tolerate frost.
You’ll want to plan for your seeds to have enough time to mature before the first hard frost. The average first frost date varies by several weeks across the state. You can determine what it is in your area by using an online calculator if you don’t know it.
Some plants tolerate light frosts, and even taste better after some cold weather. A cold frame, caterpillar tunnel, high tunnel or even row cover can add a few more weeks to your growing season by keeping your plants warm if the suggested planting date has already passed for your area.
Greens
Most lettuce varieties can be ready to eat in just more than a month. Spinach is another tried and true option for cooler weather. Arugula and salad greens should fit in this window too, but check your seed packets to be sure. Mustard greens, which can be eaten in salad or cooked, will tolerate colder temperatures and mild frosts.
Radishes and turnips
Radishes will be ready in about three to five weeks after you seed them.
Herbs
Herbs like cilantro, dill and parsley are popular choices that are ready to eat in several weeks. Only harvesting part of the plant’s leaves will keep it growing so you can have a harvest up until frost.
Kale
Kale can survive some frost and gets sweeter after cold temperatures. Some people even prefer it to summer harvests. It can also be protected just with row cover to extend its season.
Carrots
Carrots are unusual among field crops because you can leave them in the ground over the winter. This also produces sweeter, tastier crops and gives you something to look forward to in early spring. If you seed them now, you might be able to get a fall harvest depending on your area.
Beets
Beets will also get sweeter after some frost. As a bonus, even if it’s too late to get a harvest, you’ll be able to eat the greens, which develop before the beet sizes up. The soft greens are related to chard and can be cooked similarly.
If you have extra seeds sitting around and not much to lose, some Maine gardeners have also had success with beans, peas and dill in August. Asian greens such as bok choy, tatsoi and Chinese cabbage grow well in cooler temperatures, and could make it to maturity with some extra care.
